Roy's Fish and Seafood: Recipes from the Pacific Rim [A Cookbook]

by Roy Yamaguchi, John Harrisson, John DeMello (Photographs)

A full-color cookbook featuring 100 fish and seafood recipes as well as information about each variety of seafood from Hawaiian chef Roy Yamaguchi.

Owner of the critically acclaimed Roy’s restaurants, public television host and celebrated chef Roy Yamaguchi is considered one of today’s greatest seafood chefs and has been credited with reinventing Hawaiian cuisine. In ROY’S FISH AND SEAFOOD, Chef Yamaguchi explains the uses, flavors, cooking qualities, and specific varieties of 25 key types of seafood, including tuna, mahi-mahi, ehu, opah, sea bass, lobster, squid, and scallops as well as their potential substitutions. Chef Yamaguchi has created incredible recipes for each variety of seafood, such as Roy’s Signature Blackened Ahi with Soy-Mustard Sauce, Crab and Potato-Crusted Ono with Creamed Spinach and Bacon, Pan-Seared Butterfish with Coconut Sauce and Kalua Pork Miso, and Spicy Tempura Shrimp with Mango-Avocado Salad. This collection of delicious recipes and indispensable preparation information will inform and inspire any lover of seafood.

Genres: Cookbooks

248 pages, Hardcover

First published May 15, 2005

Reviews

[Kate prefers books to people · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful and giftable celebrity chef cookbook focusing on Pacific seafood. Strong Japanese and Hawaiian influence but also includes other favorites like spaetzle.

This book definitely isn't one I'd purchase for the photos. There aren't pictures of every dish. The food pictures all have a similar presentation which provides nice consistency. I wish there had been more pictures of the food, but at least the ones that were there were nice.

Now the fish pictures... the most useful part of this book is how the author identifies fish and trains readers what to look for in fish markets. Apparently some fish are sold under more than one name, and other fish might be substituted or sold under the name of more expensive fish. There is no common thread linking the fish pictures. Some are shown as whole fish. Some are shown half cropped out of the picture or hidden in a pile of fish. Some are held by fishermen. All I can say is that using those photos, I'm not sure I could go into a market and confidently get the right animal. If there's ever another edition, please tweak this part.

This book convinced me to never again visit the seafood market nearest my house (which shall remain nameless, but that fishy smell and the sunken eyes he talks about are all over that place!). I will have to start venturing a little further out to find a better place (which is weird because I'm so close to the ocean, I can smell salt. You'd think I'd be able to find good fish all over the place.).

The book is divided into sections based on type of fish. It lists possible substitutions and alternate names when applicable. There are a few I have saved for when I find the right fish (and a better seafood market).

I'm going to out myself here as not a gourmet chef... the most useful part for me was an index in the back that has recipes for basic items like condiments and stocks. The Hawaiian Chile Water and Lobster Paste are really good. There's also a section that talks about some of the more exotic ingredients specific to Asian cuisine and where to buy them, how to use, if you can substitute, etc. (For instance, there's a Thai leaf that's kind of like lime zest...if you buy it, go fresh or frozen... def don't get it powdered and if you must get it dried, soak it in water before using and remove it from the dish before you serve. I need some really basic directions and this book delivered.)

Not all of the recipes are super easy, so if you want a challenge, you could find it. There are some recipes like the Roy's Signature Blackened Ahi with Soy Mustard Sauce that I don't plan to attempt, but because I now know it's on the menu at Roy's restaurant, I would consider going out of my way to try it.

Eventually I want to tackle some of the fancier recipes in here, but there is a parmesan and bacon crusted salmon with corn, spinach, and clam chowder sauce that I assure you is totally worth the purchase price of the book and the ingredients can be found anywhere. The next one I want to try is the pan seared mahimahi with eggplant misoyaki.

And finally, this book should be required reading for anyone traveling to or living in Hawaii. One of the final sections is a list of seafood markets and groceries that are recommended by the author.

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cookbook is aimed at patrons of the restaurant, which I assume from the cost and obscurity of the ingredients to be expensive. I've never been there and use the book primarily to get ideas about what flavorings go with which fish. Excellent food photography.